Body of Silk
by Joss And The Arc
Summary: When a Pro-Lycanthrope Law is put into place, it forces all werewolves to marry their own kind, in hope that the breed will die out, since female lycanthropes aren't fertile while in their human form. But when Remus Lupin is forced to marry someone fifteen years his junior, there's a problem. She's not a werewolf. Why's she involved in the Law?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor any of the original characters. I do own Eliana, though.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Lycanthrope<strong>

Grimmauld Place was empty, save for a few of the year-round occupants like Sirius Black and Molly Weasley.

Remus Lupin's hands curled into fists, crushing the papers in them. His entire body was shaking so badly that it might as well have been the full moon. In a final act of rage he threw the paper balls across the room as hard as he could. They hit the opposite wall just as Molly made her way into the kitchen, ducking so she wouldn't be hit in the face.

"Remus!"

He buried his face in his hands. "I'm sorry, Molly," he sighed, sliding into the kitchen chair. "I'm just frustrated."

Molly bent down and picked up the papers off the ground, smoothing them back out flat. "What is this?"

"My future."

_Dear Sir or Madam,_

_As a retraction to the Anti-Werewolf Legislation, drafted by Dolores Umbridge in 1983, it has been decided that the Legislation has made it difficult for people with Lycanthropy to find employment. As a result, it has forced many into poverty while others have turned towards darker forces under the belief they would have a better life._

_Attempting to rectify the wrongs and iscolation caused by the Anti-Werewolf Legislation, the Ministry of Magic has put into place a Pro-Lycanthrope Law, requiring all those with the pre-existing condition to report to the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures to receive your Ministry-Approved Lycanthrope partner._

_Thank you for your cooperation,_

_Melinda Thrubb_

_Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures_

After reading the letter quietly to herself, Molly was shocked. The Ministry was forcing all lycanthropes - Remus included - to marry their own kind, chosen by an undetermined third party. It was a pathetic attempt at keeping werewolves under control and surveillance, disguised as an arrangement in their best interests. It made her sick to her stomach.

"Remus..." she breathed, placing a hand on her chest. "I don't know what to say."

"There's nothing _to _say, Molly." Remus' head now laid on the table, lolling side to side effortlessly. "The next few pages are explaining what I can and cannot do to my wife, what will happen if I don't show up on the appointed date to get married, everything." The misery was evident in his voice, he was practically wallowing in self-pity. A very out-of-character thing for him.

"They cannot do this to you!" Molly bursts, throwing her hands - and the papers - into the air. "This is absolutely ridiculous, it must be breaking some sort of law!"

"How can they force some poor woman to live with me for the rest of her life?" Remus asked, standing so suddenly it threw the chair he was in backwards onto the floor.

Molly hurried over to him, rubbing his shoulder blades in a vain attempt to comfort him. "Don't say it like that, dear, I'm sure you're better than any other like you that she could be stuck with." When Remus shot her a glare over his shoulder, she corrected herself. "She isn't going to find someone in the community better than you, Remus."

He sighed. "A majority of the werewolf community are vicious and ruthless, I suppose it's better than her being stuck with someone like Greyback." Even the name alone brought bile up into his throat.

She picked up the pages again, shuffling through them. "Does it tell you whom you're arranged to?"

Remus shook his head. "I won't know until Monday."

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><p>Thrubb wasn't the most attractive of women; short and squat, with a square face that constantly looked like she smelled something unpleasant. She sat in a chair behind a large podium, dorned in black robes and a tall black hat. The rest of the Department, seated behind her, wore the same robes and hat.<p>

The courtroom-turned-chapel was filled to the brim with lycanthropes. Every single one of them with a scar on their face, most of them leering at the Department staff, a few even shouting obscenities. Clearly, nobody in the room was any more pleased than Remus. He stood at the back of the room, hands behind his back, shaking the wrinkles out of the only decent blacks he owned. Security was stationed nearly every two feet around the walls of the circular room, so the lycanthropes were standing in a half-circle around the back of the room. The front was being saved for the couple currently being married.

Ms. Thrubb was calling werewolves two-by-two up to the front of the room and marrying them on the spot. Remus breathed a sigh of relief every time his name wasn't called. The women affected by lycanthropy weren't the most attractive; scarred, and muscled, the ones that survived the transformations often turned out as brutal and vicious as the males. Regardless of gender, they were all the same monster on the inside. It sent a shudder up his spine.

"Lupin, Remus." He made his way up to the front, ignoring the jeers from his colleagues. His name wasn't one feared in the werewolf community, but it was respected for his place in society. But that never stopped the darker lycanthropes from calling him names and occasionally spitting on him.

When he finally reached the front, he looked around nervously for the woman he was going to marry.

"Machado, Eliana."

The _click click _of soft heels could be heard as the courtroom went silent, and a very young woman made her way to the front of the room. As Remus caught sight of her, his breath caught in his throat. She was moderately-attractive. Not gorgeous by any means, but she could've been the Cindy Crawford of the lycanthropes. She had long, straight, chestnut-brown hair that was pulled into a high ponytail that still fell all the way down her back. Her eyes were a very light grey, almost a silver. She couldn't have been more than nineteen, she was still a child. Remus' heart sank.

As she reached and faced Remus, he looked her over, shocked. There must've been a mistake, this girl wasn't a werewolf. There were no bags under her eyes, no discoloring or sunken skin, and most importantly, not a single scar on her. She wore a sundress with long sleeves, so her legs and neck were exposed, and there were no marks on her ivory skin.

As he opened his mouth to protest, she beat him to it. "Hello," she said nervously.

Remus, caught off guard, closed his mouth and blinked a few times. "Hello," he nodded curtly towards her.

Thrubb began to give the same short speech she'd given every couple; don't abuse your spouse, this is a permanant arrangement, no children are expected since female werewolves are infertile in their human form, etc etc. Remus and Eliana were asked to kiss, to which they complied. It was a short, un-romantic kiss, but he noticed that she lingered a little longer, balanced on her toes, than he did. Wolf-whistles and a few hollars were heard; the wolf inside Remus growled in domanance at the thought of the others being jealous of his thing.

His _thing_? Remus shook his head a little, pulling back from Eliana, trying to clear his head. He'd just met this girl, and now he was claiming her as his own? He barely knew her, for Christs' sake.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," Thrubb finished, ushering them away from the podium. Rings were exchanged; simple, silver bands for both of them.

Remus and Eliana were escorted out of the Ministry by one of the security guards, who grabbed Remus by the arm before they left. "For the record, Lupin, I know you're not like them." He nodded back towards the room full of werewolves. "You didn't need to be escorted out, I myself found it pretty offensive. So...sorry." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

Remus smiled a little. "Thanks."

The security guard shuffled off.

Remus stole a glance towards Eliana, the first time since they were wed. "You've never been to my place before, so I think it's best we disapparate together." She only nodded and gripped his upper arm tightly.

He turned a little and they disapparated. The uncomfortable feeling of being shoved through a tube was nearly unbearable, the squeezing was too tight - before it finally gave in and they were standing in front of Number 12 Grimmauld Place. He'd already started to walk forward into the brownstone before he realized that Eliana still had a deathgrip on his arm.

"Are you alright?" When he turned to face her, he noticed she was turning purple. "Eliana?" He asked, frantically. He waved a hand in front of her face, but she wasn't responding. She was holding her breath. "Eliana, breathe!"

But it was too late. Her legs gave out and she dropped like a doll, Remus barely had time to catch her under the arms. He bent down and hoisted her over his shoulders. "Arthur, Molly!" He yelled at the house as he brought her up the stairs and into the house.

The Weasley couple came busting into the living room just as Remus laid her down on the couch. "Molly, I need a washrag. Arthur, could you get me some water?"

"What's happened, Remus?" Arthur asked, grabbing a cup of ice water and handing it to him. "Is this your wife?"

Remus took the water and rag, pouring a little bit of cold water on the rag and placing it on her forehead. "She was still holding her breath after we disapparated, I don't know why. She just passed out."

Molly supressed a giggle. "I did that the first time I disapparated, too."

Remus' brow furrowed. "What?"

"It was probably her first time, otherwise she wouldn't have held her breath like that."

He sat down on the floor next to the couch, satisfied now that she'd be alright. "Arthur, we have a problem. She isn't a werewolf." He propped his elbows up on his knees.

"What do you mean she isn't a werewolf?"

"Look for yourself," Remus sighed. "No scars, no bags, she doesn't even smell like one." He leaned in and took a good whiff, just like he had when they kissed. "Why would she be a part of the Pro-Lycanthrope Law if she isn't one of us?"

Arthur shook his head. "I don't know, Remus. I don't know."

Remus pulled himself to his feet. "I think I'm just going to Floo us home, if that's alright with everyone. I don't much feel like waiting for her to wake up and risk disapparating again." He bent down and picked her up again, a little more gracefully this time, bridal-style. "Would you mind?" He asked, nodding towards the fire.

Molly, who was closest, reached over and threw a handful of Floo powder into the fireplace. "Lupin Manor," Remus said, loud and clear, before stepping into the fire.

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><p><strong>AN: So, to anybody who's as big of a Harry Potter nerd as I am, you would know that the Anti-Werewolf Legislation Act was actually created in 1993, I moved that back a few years to fit my story. Sorry if you hate me!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the original characters. **

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: Grimmauld Place<strong>

When she finally woke in Remus' bed, Eliana was dazed and confused. She sat up, looking around for her new husband, but he was nowhere to be found. It was still dark out, so he should've been asleep. She stepped out of bed and realized she was still in her dress; he must've been decent enough to not try and take her clothes off. Thank God he wasn't the monster most of the werewolf community was.

Eliana creeped down the small hallway to the living room, exploring the house, when she found Remus lying on the couch. He wasn't asleep, there was a book in his hands. She knew the full moon was sometime this week, so she approached him cautiously. "Remus?"

Remus looked up from his book and smiled. "I'm glad you're alright, you gave us quite a scare."

"Us?" Eliana sat down on the couch next to him.

"The Weasleys and myself," he explained. "I was bringing you to meet a few friends of mine, we'll be spending most of our time over there anyways."

"Oh," she swung her feet, too nervous to ask for what she needed, until she finally blurted out, "Remus, do you have something I can wear back to bed?"

"You didn't bring anything with you?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I wasn't allowed to take anything with me when my parents threw me out," she said, looking down at her knees.

Remus wasn't surprised at all. A lot of pureblood parents threw their children out when they became werewolves; they were an embarrassment. He was lucky his own father hadn't thrown him out as a child. "So you don't have anything, then?"

She shook her head again.

He set his book down on the coffee table. "I have something you can wear until we can go to Diagon Ally tomorrow to buy you some new clothes." He led her down the hallway back to the bedroom.

Shuffling through his closet, Remus pulled out a large t-shirt and some sweatpants and tossed them to her.

Eliana caught them and turned around. "Don't look," she mumbled to him as she pulled the dress over her head.

While she had the dress off, Remus couldn't help but peek over his shoulder at her.

Man oh man was he wrong about her not having any scars. On her right shoulderblade was an incredibly deep bite mark, straight into the skin. The flesh had been angrily torn away from her body, creating what was once a gaping hole in her back. It looked like she'd tried treating it herself, so the skin had grown back, but it was sunken into the missing parts of her blade. She'd been bitten multiple times in the same area, as if whoever bit her was actually trying to eat her. The skin was torn away in strands away from the original bite mark, and several smaller scars marred the area. The whole thing was roughly the size of his foot, which was saying a lot, because Remus had very big feet. It trailed down the back of her ribs.

He couldn't help the sob he had the choke back in his throat. The mark was Greybacks, he was famous for attacking people while still in his human form, and that was no wolf bite. That explains why she didn't have other scars; she didn't transform, but was still considered a werewolf by society.

Eliana knew he was looking. She had seen the way he was looking for scars while they were being married. "I told you not to look," she said, more pitifully than angrily. She pulled the shirt over her head and turned back to him. "Lovely, is it not? Courtesy of Fenrir Greyback."

"Why you?" Remus had been attacked by Greyback as a child, revenge for his father.

"Greyback attempted to court me through my parents and they denied him," she said, pulling the sweatpants up her bare legs. "You can imagine how pleased I was when my name wasn't called while he was being married."

Remus shuddered at the thought, but pushed it away. It didn't happen, she was his now. _Mine_, the wolf inside Remus growled. He shook his head. "It's only four in the morning, now, you should get back to sleep."

Eliana batted her eyelashes at him innocently. "What about you? Surely I can't expect you to sleep on the couch for the remainer of our marriage?"

He was taken aback at her boldness. "I was only trying to be respectful -"

"I know," she said quickly. "It just wouldn't be fair for me to take you out of your own bed, I can sleep on the couch."

Remus looked down. "Nonsense, my bed is perfectly big enough for the two of us." The thing in his chest was growling again at the idea of spending the night with her in the same bed, but he pushed the feeling down.

She was blushing now, and sort of happy he couldn't see it in the dimly-lit room. "O-of course."

He was already crawling into the other side of the bed by the time she'd gathered the courage to even sit on top of the sheets. She laid down and slid under the covers, nervous at the thought of being in bed with a monster.

Eliana shook her head, disgusted by her own thought. How could she call him that? Remus had proved himself to be nothing but a gentleman since she'd met him, and here she was, calling him a monster over something he couldn't control. The least she could do was be kind to him, considering he was taking her into his home. She toyed with the silver ring on her finger as she drifted to sleep.

At some point in the night she must've been too hot, because she sat straight up in bed, waking Remus.

"Eliana, wha..?" Through his half-closed eyes he watched and she yanked the shirt off over her head. His eyes widened; no bra. He quickly turned over so he couldn't see.

The wolf in him didn't growl that time. It fucking _roared_.

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><p>"Where are we going, again?"<p>

"I'm taking you to Grimmauld Place, where we tried going last night before you passed out." Remus grabbed a handful of Floo powder. "It's best if we go through together, since you've never been there before." He held out his arm, which she grabbed onto. "Grimmauld Place!"

The inside of the brownstone was dingy and dark, but the bustle of people made it feel like home.

"Oh, Remus!" A squat woman with curly red hair noticed the couple coming through the fireplace and ran over to greet them.

"Hello, Molly," Remus said with a smile. "This is Eliana, my wife."

Eliana quickly learned that Molly was a hugger when she threw her arms around the poor girl. "It's Ellie, please," she said, both to Remus and Molly.

"It's wonderful to meet you while you're conscious, dear!"

Ellie threw a confused glance at Remus, who just smiled and chuckled to himself. Must've been some sort of inside joke.

Remus began pointing out several people in the house. "That over there is Arthur, he's Molly's husband. Fred and George, two of their boys. Ronald is around here somewhere. That's Harry and Hermione over there in the corner, Ginny's probably in her room." So many names and people, Ellie was sure she couldn't remember them all. "And this is -"

"Sirius Black!" It was Ellie who said - or screamed, rather - the name. She jumped back nearly three feet, with a death grip on Remus' arm.

"Pleased to meet you," Sirius said, sticking his hand out to shake hers.

The hand being thrown at her, she let out a small shreik and hid behind Remus, who burst out laughing. "Ellie, darling, not everything you've heard about Sirius Black is true." He was nearly doubled over, laughing at his friend's reaction.

Sirius looked positively insulted. "Hello, I'm not-mass-murderer Sirius Black."

After staring at his still outstretched hand for a moment and receiving an 'It's OK' nod from Remus, Ellie slowly stepped forward and shook it. "Eliana Ma - Lupin."

"Ellie Lupin," Sirius repeated to himself. "Sounds good, mate." He nudged Remus with his elbow. "She's certainly a good-lookin' bird, Mooney, how'd you wrangle her up?"

"Magic," Remus said, winking back at him.

"Oh dear," Molly said, stepping back into the conversation. "What on Earth are you wearing?"

Ellie looked down at the sweatpants from last night, along with the dark tank top she'd pulled out of Remus' closet. She was practically swimming in his clothes.

Remus stepped forward. "Molly, she doesn't have anything to wear. I was hoping you could take her to Diagon Ally, have a sort-of girls' day so she could get some new clothes." He pulled a small bag out of his pocket and tossed it to Molly.

Molly put a hand on Ellie's shoulder. "Of course, we'll take Ginny and Hermione with us too! Ginny!" she yelled behind her, and a redheaded girl stepped forward. "She looks about your size, could you find her something to wear for now?"

Ginny nodded, "Of course. Come on, Ellie." She took Ellie by the hand and led her up a set of stairs and into a small bedroom. "I'm Ginny, by the way."

"I heard," Ellie laughed.

"How old are you, anyways?"

"What?"

Ginny opened up a small closet and began going through the clothes. "I know all about the Pro-Lycanthrope Law, so it's not like I think Remus is creepy for marrying someone so young, but you _are _very young. How old are you?"

Ellie flushed red. "I'm nineteen, I'll be twenty next Friday."

"Happy early birthday," Ginny said, tossing some jeans and a t-shirt onto the bed. "Try those on, they look like they'd fit you."

Nervous was an understatement, Ellie was terrified of changing in front of the girl. But she couldn't just ask her to leave her own bedroom. Slowly, she lifted the tank top over her head.

"Whoa, wicked scar!" Ginny said, stepping forward to touch her shoulder. "Is that where you were bit?"

Ellie wasn't used to positive comments about her shoulder, she didn't really know how to react. Nodding was all she could do.

"Makes you look like a badass," Ginny smiled.

Ellie pulled on the bootcut blue jeans, which fit like a glove. Ginny's hips were a little bit smaller than her own, but she shoved them into the pants anyways. She then slipped on the top, a _very _tight button-up.

"That looks great on you, you should keep it." Ginny said casually. "Come on, let's get back down to mum. We're supposed to go school shopping in Diagon Ally today anyways."

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><p>"What do you think about this one, dear?" Molly held up a long, thin, turquoise jacket.<p>

Ellie nodded, "It's cute." She took it and held it up against herself in the mirror. "It looks like it'd fit."

"Of course it would, you're so skinny anything would fit you." Hermione piped up. "Do you guys mind if we stop in Flourish and Blotts?"

"Ew," Ginny said. "No way, we'll end up spending hours in there if you go in."

Hermione stuck her tongue out.

"So, Ellie," Molly said casually, still looking through the clothing racks. "Have you slept with Remus yet?"

"W-what?" Ellie was taken aback, but the other two girls leaned in to hear better. "No, I haven't. We've only been married for twenty-four hours!"

"I know, but usually on the wedding night..."

"Goodness, no." Ellie grabbed a few more pairs of leggings off the shelf. "I barely know the man, we've only even kissed at our wedding. He doesn't seem interested in physicaly contact at all, actually." She thought about last night; he hadn't cuddled her, he hadn't hugged her, he didn't even hold her hand.

"Are you?" Ginny asked.

"I - I don't know," Ellie said, blushing a little.

"You're blushing," Hermione grinned. "You like him!"

"I don't even know him!"

"But you think he's cute?" Ginny asked. It was more of a statement than a question. It left no room for argument.

"I think he's good-looking, yes." Ellie didn't like where the conversation was going. "Let's go pay for these and get out of here."

The four headed up to the register and paid for the clothes and shoes.

"Is there anything else you need?" Molly asked, nodding suggestively towards a small red and black shop towards the end of the street. "Maybe some new underwear?"

"Molly!" Ellie's cheeks flushed a dark red. "I suppose it couldn't hurt..."

Ginny and Hermione grinned at each other as the four hurried down the street into the lingerie shop.

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><p><strong>AN: This chapter's a little bit longer than the last one, but still not as long as I'd like. I was actually sitting on my couch (still am) watching Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban while writing this. It's my favorite of all the movies, since Sirius and Remus are my two favorite characters!**

**Anyways, I had someone ask me when this is supposed to be taking place, and I'm not exactly 100% sure. The Golden Trio are still in school; it's after their third year but before their sixth, so somewhere in the middle there.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor any of the original HP characters.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: The Wolf<strong>

"Ellie, shhhh."

"We're gonna get in trouble!"

"Not if you shut the hell up!"

"But -" Fred put his hand over Ellie's mouth to silence her as frantic footsteps passed. George was silent as possible, having to cover his own mouth to keep from laughing.

The trio were hiding in the closet after setting off Weasley's Wizard Wheezes' newest product - fake, exploding wands. They were generic-looking, something anybody could mistake for their own if they saw it lying around. The second they touched flesh it set off a small explosion that shocked whomever tried picking up the wand, covering the hand in a black powder that took hours to remove. Sirius had been the first victim, and was now frantically trying to remove the mystery powder.

"FRED! GEORGE!" Molly was screaming for the two she knew was behind it.

Sirius, however, had other ideas. "ELIANA!"

Ellie wiggled from Fred's grasp and stepped out of the closet. "Yes, Siri?" She slipped into the bathroom where Sirius was washing his hands.

He held the black hands up. "What do you know about this?"

She batted her eyelashes. "Nothing, Sirius. Why would I know anything?"

"Don't play all innocent," Sirius said, narrowing his eyes at her. "You've been hanging out with Fred and George a lot this week, I know you know something."

It'd been a month since Ellie and Remus were married, and apart from the fact that they'd still yet to have any sort of physical contact, they were just like every other couple out there. Remus was more of a friend than her husband. School was going to be starting soon, meaning Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, and Ginny would be gone for the whole year.

Ellie tried holding her smile back, but it soon spread across her face. "I don't know how to get it off, Sirius. Fred and George never told me." She shook her head, her ponytail swinging from side to side.

"So they _are _behind it?"

Ellie smoothed her hair in the mirror. "Of course they are, who did you think did it?" She wiped a little excess mascara off her cheek.

Sirius shoved her lightly. "You look gorgeous, let's go downstairs. Remus should be back anytime now."

Her heart lept at the mention of her husband. She'd been trying to get his attention recently, but he just wasn't interested. She asked his opinions on her outfits, hair, or makeup, and tried talking to him about his work. But Remus only ever talked to her like a friend, maybe even a little sister. It drove her nuts. She may not have been the most gorgeous girl in the world, but Ellie never had a problem getting a boy's attention.

_Maybe that's my problem_, she thought to herself. _He's not a boy. He's a man._

She and Sirius bounded down the stairs together, lightly shoving each other as they went until it turned into a full shoving match at the bottom.

Sirius headed into the kitchen, pulling a bottle from the cupboards. "Ellie, you want a drink?"

Ellie hesitated, eyeing the firewhiskey in his hands.

"Come on, you're old enough. It's just one drink."

Slowly, she nodded. "Yeah, why not?" She reached for a glass, and Sirius poured the alcohol to the brim. She took a sip and grimaced. "God, that's awful."

He nodded, "I know. Just suck it up." He poured himself some as well and downed it in nearly one mouthful.

Ellie shook her head and drank the entire glass. "That's disgusting."

A few glasses later, Sirius and Ellie were sitting in front of the fire, laughing.

"...and then...and then Remus told Filch he was a prefect and would never do such a thing!" Sirius covered his mouth with his hand as he hiccupped and laughed at the same time, causing the alcohol in his mouth to spew out.

Ellie bust out laughing, splayed out across the couch. She was unable to control her laughter at this point, after all the alcohol. The bottle of firewhiskey lay on the floor, empty and abandoned. "Even though he saw Remus do it with his own eyes?"

"Old git never could piece it together! Remus got away with everything when we were younger!"

The front door opened and a very exhausted-looking Remus stepped into the living room.

"Remus!" Sirius slurred, standing up and throwing his arms around his best friend. "Where've you been, mate?"

"Sirius, you reek of alcohol." Remus gently removed Sirius from himself. "Why don't you go upstairs to bed?"

Sirius clapped him on the shoulder. "Good idea." He leaned in close to Remus so Ellie couldn't hear. "Talk to her, mate. She wants you," he whispered before trudging up the wooden stairs.

"Ellie," Remus said cautiously. "Are you alright?"

She'd been silently laying on the couch since he got there. She lifted her head to look at him over the back of the couch. "Hi Remus," she said dreamily. "I missed you today." Her hand lifted and played with something in the air he couldn't see.

"How much have you had to drink?" He asked, eyeing the bottle on the floor. He hoped that was mostly Sirius.

"Only two glasses," she sighed. "I don't drink." She giggled a little to herself.

"I can see that."

"Remus, why don't you want me?" Ellie sat up to look him in the eye.

Remus' eyes widened. "What?"

"Me," she repeated. "You don't want me. You don't even hold my hand, or cuddle me, even though we sleep in the same bed!" She glared at him and crossed her arms. "This marriage is a joke to everyone else."

"Eliana," Remus said softly, sitting down next to her. "I'm old enough to be your father."

"But you're my husband!" She whined quietly. "I don't expect you to love me, I just want some attention sometimes. It's like you don't even notice me."

"I don't notice you?" Remus asked incredulously. He reached out and tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ear. "Like I don't notice when you wear my t-shirts to bed and nothing else, or the way I don't notice when you spend hours making dinner, even when you don't have to? You think I don't appreciate you doing your makeup and hair every day, or watching you paint your nails at the kitchen table?"

Ellie's lower lip trembled. "You notice that?"

"Of course I notice that, Ellie, you're my _wife_."

Even in the altered state, her heart took off with his words. Remus stood up, pulling Ellie up with him. "Come on, let's get you home and in bed, you reek of firewhiskey."

* * *

><p>Ellie sat up a little too quickly, causing all the blood to rush to her head. Instant migraine. "Ow," she groaned, holding her head with both hands. "Help me." She laid back down, pulling the duvet over her head.<p>

The door was suddenly kicked open, hard. Remus had meant to only nudge it with his foot, but the door ended up bouncing off the wall. "Oops. Here." He set down a glass of orange juice on the table next to her side of the bed.

She peaked out from under the covers. "Thank you, Remus," she said quietly, sipping on the orange juice.

He sat down next to her. "How much do you remember from last night?"

She shook her head. "Not a damn thing after laying down, I might as well have been dead."

Remus nodded. "You were out the second you were on the bed." He ran his fingers through her hair in a vain attempt to wrangle the bedhead.

Ellie's eyes widened as she remembered what she'd said to him. "Remus, about last night..."

He waved her off with his hand. "It's fine, El."

She'd gone off on him last night, telling him things she never would've said if she'd been sober. Or even in her right mind. "I was out of line," she said, sipping the orange juice again.

"No," Remus said, shaking his head. "You were right; you're my wife, I should treat you like it, not like a stranger. I didn't realize you wanted us to be closer."

Scooting closer to him, Ellie laid her head on his shoulder. "Why don't we go out for dinner tonight?"

Remus' mouth straightened into a flat line. "Full moon tonight," he said shortly.

She shook her head. "No, of course, I'm sorry. I forgot." How could she have forgotten? She could feel the moon coming on herself, for the last three days. She'd had a knot in her stomach, and Molly had been serving nearly all of her meat raw. Her senses had heightened, just like she knew Remus' were.

He nodded curtly. "I know, I can _feel _you feeling it." The wolf was growling again at Ellie's bare legs. The t-shirt she was wearing barely covered the necessities.

"Where do you go for the full moon, Remus?" They'd only been together a month, but the day of the full moon he always disappeared from the house.

He shook his head, obviously not wanting to tell her. "I'd rather not say, you're safer that way."

Ellie sighed, but she understood. He was still a threat to her, even though she was technically a lycanthrope. She stepped up out of the bed and headed over to the closet. "We're not going anywhere, right?"

He shook his head. "Other than Grimmauld Place tonight for you, no."

She nodded, pulling out a pair of Victoria's Secret sweatpants and a tight tank top Ginny had given her a while back. While she'd been too embarrassed to go into Victoria's herself, along with Ginny and Hermione, she pushed through the embarrassment long enough to buy the most comfortable pair of sweatpants she'd ever owned.

Remus couldn't believe what she was walking around the house in. How did she expect him to focus on anything while she was wearing _that _this close to the full moon? The wolf particularly liked it when she would bend at the waist and the shirt would ride up a little, and he could see the bottom of her scar. He didn't know why, but he found it incredibly attractive.

It was a slow day. Ellie made lunch for the two of them: rare steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, and vegetables. It would be the only meal Remus could have all day, or he'd vomit during the transformation. They read together on the couch for nearly an hour. At around seven she went upstairs to take a nap and try and get rid of her headache, and she asked Remus to wake her at eight so she could leave for Grimmauld Place.

At eight, Remus had forgotten all about her being upstairs, and he went about his usual full moon routine. He locked all the doors in the house and finished barring the windows so he couldn't break them. He then put all the glass and porcelain in the cabinet above the sink, where the wolf wouldn't bother going. He didn't have Severus to make the Wolfsbane Potion for him anymore, and he was too poor at Potions to try brewing it himself, so he'd just have to make do with natural transformation.

Satisfied that everything was put away and his wife was gone, Remus sat down in the middle of the living room to wait. Despite what people thought, werewolves weren't completely gone when they transform. It was like having your body taken over. Most nights he remembered nearly everything the wolf did, and he saw it through his own eyes. There was nothing he could do to stop the wolf once it was going, which is why he was glad he'd never attacked a human. He couldn't bear to watch himself hurt someone. Finally, the moon began to rise through his windows. As soon as it hit him, he could start to feel the change internally.

_Let's get this over with,_ he thought.

"Remus?"

His eyes snapped up to the hallway where Ellie was standing in the same sweatpants she'd been in early. He was supposed to wake her at eight! "Ellie," he started. "Get out of here, to the firepla -" He stopped suddenly, the outward transformation beginning. His bones snapped as they elongated into that of the wolf, and he could feel his head turning.

Ellie's eyes widened as she watched her husband transform in front of her. She'd never seen a wolf in person, just experienced symptoms herself. She put her hands over her ears in an attempt to block out Remus' yells of pain. After a few minutes, the wolf was crouching where Remus had previously been.

She wasn't as naive as Hermione had been in her third year. She knew that Remus was gone, there was no point trying to reason with it. Instead, she started inching towards the fireplace, which was on the other side of the room. The werewolf's head snapped up to look at her, and she froze. It growled at her, a low, gutteral sound, and let out a low howl.

It stepped towards her, in two strides it was across the room directly in front of her. She backtracked and began slowly backing down the hall, but it was following her. It reached out with one of it's enormous paws and took a swipe at her.

Ellie let out a scream and turned on her heel, running for the bedroom. The bathroom on the other side of the bedroom had a lock, she could lock herself in there! She made it to the bedroom and slammed the door behind her, but the wolf was already between the door and the post, sliding into the bedroom. Right between her and the bathroom.

She was backed against a wall, the wolf making its way to her. It shoved it's nose directly in front of her face, taking a whiff of her. It growled, bearing it's teeth. It's two-inch long teeth. Ellie was shaking, tears streaming down her face. The wolf growled again, before doing something she didn't expect; it licked her cheek. More specifically, the tears running down her cheek. Her eyes snapped open and she looked the thing - Remus - in the eyes. It wasn't coming for her anymore, it was just standing there, three inches from her face.

Incredibly slowly, she lifted a hand towards the wolf's face. It growled and she retracted for a second, but continued reaching for the wolf. She placed her hand lightly on the side of it's face, and it nuzzled it's nose into her hand.

_No way_, she thought. "Remus..?" she whispered.

The wolf growled as soon as the word left her mouth, and not a friendly growl, either. She took it as a cue that she wasn't supposed to speak. So she continued petting the wolf, terrified that it would decide she wasn't worth keeping and kill her. Or worse, _bite _her.

Ellie didn't know how long she stood against the wall, petting the wolf. It must've taken two hours to work up the courage to move, but she finally stepped out from between the wolf and the wall. It growled, but didn't attempt to stop her. She slowly made her way out of the bedroom, the wolf hot on her heels as she headed down into the kitchen.

"Are you thirsty?" she asked quietly, after gathering up enough balls to talk again. The wolf growled at her, the same as before. Don't talk. It took everything she had to ignore it. "Don't do that," she glared at the wolf. "Do you want water?"

Turning on the kitchen sink, Ellie filled a small bowl full of water and set it on the kitchen table. The wolf was three feet taller than her, so she figured the table would be better than the floor. Eagerly, he bent down and lapped the water out of the bowl. She reached over and pet the top of the wolf's head. It was like having a large, deadly dog.

Still worried that the wolf would snap at one point, she decided she'd spend the night on the couch, reading like she did with Remus. Ellie had no idea why the wolf had decided she wasn't worth killing. She'd never heard of a werewolf sparing anybody's life, not even a friend or family member. There was no person left when they transformed, just monster.

Around midnight, Ellie crept to the bedroom, the wolf still right behind her. It had followed her every move all night, she couldn't even close the bathroom door when she took a shower. It was right there when she was done, waiting by her towel. She slipped into the covers of her bed, and the wolf crawled up on top, sleeping half on the bed, half on her legs.

She fell into a very heavy but uneasy sleep that night.

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><p><strong>AN: I figured out when this is set. Took me a very long time, but I got it! It's set the summer after the Golden Trio's fourth year, before their fifth year! Hence the Order being together at Grimmauld, but not being in full OotP mode!**

**Anyways, this chapter was really fun to write. I promise I'll explain what happened in the end, and why the wolf didn't kill her on the spot. This isn't just random, I didn't just decide to make him a friendly dog. **

**Rate and review, please! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor any of the original HP characters.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: Aftermath<strong>

Ellie snuck into Grimmauld Place during the wee hours of the morning. Hearing footsteps in the hall as she stepped out of the fireplace, she quickly dove onto the couch, closing her eyes.

The door opened, and the footsteps paused. "Ellie's here, she must've come by late last night." It was Sirius, but who was he talking to?

"I wonder why she didn't come earlier," Harry's voice floated by. "She wasn't here when I went to bed, I wonder if she made it out of the house in time."

_Remus_. Ellie felt bad leaving him naked, passed out in bed after he changed back, but she had no choice. If he woke and found her still in the house, he'd murder her before she had a chance to explain. But what was there to explain? She had no idea what happened last night, why she wasn't dead.

She yawned and pretended to stretch. "Sirius? Harry?"

"Good morning, Ellie," Sirius chirped. "Sorry to wake you."

She sat up on the couch, rubbing her eyes. She was actually quite tired, but they had to think she'd slept on the couch all night. "'S alright, I was awake anyways." Maybe Sirius would know what happened, being Remus' best friend and all. "Sirius, do you mind if I talk to you alone?"

Sirius smiled and nodded towards the hallway. "Sure thing, we'll talk in my room." He led her down the hall and up the stairs. Luckily, the portrait of Mrs. Black hadn't started shreiking yet today.

He closed the door behind her and they sat down on his bed, and she began her tale of the previous night. She didn't leave anything out, Remus not waking her up from her nap, walking in on him mid-transformation, every little detail. Sirius' face went from concern, to shock, to amusement. By the end, he was laughing.

"R-Remus," he said, wiping tears from his eyes. "His little furry problem turned housedog!" He doubled over, laughing.

"It's not funny," Ellie's cheeks burned. "I don't know what to do, he's going to kill me."

"He won't remember, typically he doesn't remember anything hours before he changed," Sirius said, shaking his head. He looked down at his hands, suddenly a little embarrassed by the topic he was going to bring up. "As for why you're not dead, well...Werewolves choose mates, you know. It's always another werewolf, never humans. But they're so rarely in close enough proximity for it to happen that it hardly ever does."

If she thought she was blushing before, she must've turned dark red at the idea of mating. She'd never considered herself a werewolf, but if she was one legally, then there must be enough in her for Remus to think of her as one as well.

"It's true!" Hermione's voice came through the door, and Ellie noticed a small ear at the bottom of the door.

"Hermione!" She yelled, throwing the door open. Just as she thought, the nearly-Fifth-year student had a Weasleys Wizard Wheezes product held up to her and Ginny's ears, who knows how long they'd been listening! "What are you two doing?"

"Spying on you, duh," Ginny said, flouncing into Sirius' bedroom. "I've never been in here before, you know. Why do you have muggle pictures on the wall?"

"Bugged the shit out of my mum and dad," Sirius grinned.

"Anyways," Hermione tossed her hair back and sat down next to Sirius on the bed. "Sirius is right, Remus recognized you, even in his werewolf form, as his mate. But you weren't a werewolf yourself, which probably confused it, so it acted more like a giant dog than..you know." Her cheeks tinged pink.

"Thank you for your insight, Hermione!" Ellie yelled, throwing her hands over her ears.

"So you didn't actually get any sleep, did you?" Sirius asked. "You came in early this morning, not late last night. If you got sleep, it wasn't much."

Ellie shook her head.

"You can use my bed for today, nobody will bother you in here."

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><p>"It isn't what it looks like."<p>

"What do you expect me to think?"

"Not _that_!"

"She's in your bed, Sirius! Why was she sleeping with you?"

"Um..."

"Exactly."

"Really, Remus, she's just sleeping. I moved her from the couch this morning when I found her."

"Why wasn't she in the spare bed in Ginny's room?"

"Um..."

"Get out of my way, Sirius."

"You can't go in there, she had a rough night!"

The door to Sirius' bedroom was thrown back open as Remus barged into the bedroom. Ellie had already been woken by the conversation just outside the door, but had the blanket over her head trying to drown out the noise.

"Remus, get the fuck out," she mumbled into the pillow. "'M tryin' to sleep here."

"I can see that." His tone was angry, it made Ellie frown. "Care to explain why you're in Sirius' bed? Get out!"

"Some of us didn't get sleep last night!" She retorted angrily, sitting up and glaring at him. "We can't all just change back and pass out like you."

Remus was a little taken aback. "Excuse me?" How would she know whether or not he'd gotten any sleep?

"I came in this morning and Sirius let me use his bed, excuse me for wanting some rest," she sighed.

"Why did you come in the morning?"

"I'm just gonna slip out," Sirius said, shuddering at the tension in the room. He didn't want to be part of the upcoming conversation. Remus was going to be pissed. "There's juice on the table for you, Ellie." He slipped out of the bedroom.

Rubbing her eyes, Ellie took a good look at Remus. Even though he hadn't gotten into any trouble or hurt himself last night, he still looked awful. There were bags under his eyes and he had a few scratches on his arms from his claws. She glanced towards the window and noticed it wasn't at all bright outside. "What time is it?" She picked up the juice and downed it all.

"Nearly six," Remus said. "Stop avoiding my question."

"I slept _all day_?"

He nodded. "Why did you come in the morning?"

Ellie sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I've explained this to Sirius once, so pay attention so I don't have to say it again." She pat the bed next to her and Remus took a seat. "Last night, you never woke me up from my nap."

Remus paled, realizing she was right. He knew exactly where the conversation was going. "Did I bite you?" He grabbed her - quite roughly, if she did say so herself - and began looking her over for bite marks.

Pulling her arm out of his grasp, Ellie held her hands out defensively. "No, now don't interrupt me." She continued, "You changed before I could leave, but you weren't a regular werewolf." Her brow furrowed. "You came at me like you were going to hurt me, but you stopped yourself. It was like you were my...well...pet, for lack of a better word."

"I didn't take Wolfsbane," Remus said. "Why would I act like that?"

"I didn't put it together either, actually," Ellie said, leaning in closer. "Sirius did."

His eyebrows disappeared into his bangs. "Sirius?"

She nodded. "He said lycanthropes choose mates." Her cheeks flushed again, and she closed her mouth, unable to continue.

Remus got the idea, and blushed a little himself. "Sirius is right, that would be the only explanation."

"So what are we going to do about it?" Ellie edged even closer to him still, laying her head on his shoulder.

"Do about it?" He seemed genuinely surprised.

"I know you go into heat," she said slowly. "I do too, during the winter."

Remus nodded. It was the same time of year for all werewolves, winter was the breeding season. "There's nothing to do about it, Eliana," he said sternly. "It's too dangerous for you."

"Dangerous..?" she repeated, staring at him incredulously.

He nodded again. "Yes, dangerous. I could hurt you."

Ellie stood up out of the bed, throwing her hands up in frustration. "Are you kidding me?"

He hadn't even heard her after she stood, all he could focus on were how _short _those shorts were. He shook his head, attempting to rid himself of the thought. "What are you doing?"

She waved her hand in his face. "_Helloooo_, Remus. Hi. I'm your wife. Barely, since we haven't even consumated in nearly two months of marriage, but your wife nonetheless." She gestured downwards to her body. "I wear revealing clothing, I get dressed up, I even wear ridiculously expensive underwear every day in hopes that you'll one day decide to finally fulfill your husbandly duties!"

Remus blinked. "Excuse me?" Where was _this _coming from? He glared. "I'm sorry this isn't the ideal situation, being married to a stranger isn't exactly what I had in mind for my future." It wasn't like him to act out like he was, but just a day after the full moon he couldn't very well control himself.

In two large steps, Ellie had closed the gap between him and climbed onto his lap, straddling his legs. She buried her hands in his hair, bringing her face as close to his as possible without kissing him. "I have been very patient with you, Remus," she muttered. "But my patience is wearing thin. I have needs too, you know. You're not the only one rubbing one out in the bathroom while you shower." When he opened his mouth to protest, she held her hand up. "Yes, I know. Yes, I can hear you when you say my name."

He closed his mouth, embarrassed.

"I know you want me," she continued. "And I want you too, so why won't you touch me? Even now, your hands are on the bed."

And they were, back behind him as he leaned back on his palms. "Where did this come from?" She'd never been this passionate with him before.

Ellie backed up suddenly, but stayed on his lap. That was a good question, where did this come from? Opening up about her feelings wasn't her thing, and here she was, pouring them out to her barely-husband. "I - I don't know," she said.

Remus looked around, maybe it was something in the air. His eyes then settled on the empty glass of juice. "Sirius!" he suddenly bellowed into the house.

Footsteps made their way up the stairs and the door opened, revealing a very mischievous-looking Sirius in the doorway. "Yes, Rem - whoa."

The couple blushed, realizing Ellie was still on top of Remus. She quickly jumped off, and stepped back a few feet. "What did you put in my drink?" she demanded.

"Just something to get you to open up about your feelings," Sirius said with a shrug. "The tension between you two is ridiculous, it was time to get it all out in the open. And judging by what I just saw, it's more than just open." He winked at Remus and slid back out into the hallway.

Remus sighed and waved his wand at the door, shutting it again. "This is something we'll talk about later, at home."

Nodding, Ellie agreed. "I'm going to go get some breakfa - dinner. It should be ready any minute, right?"

Remus agreed. "Ellie," he said, stopping her at the door.

"What?"

He reached out, asking for her hand, which she gave him. In a quick, swift motion, he pulled her hard towards him and crushed her against his torso, bending down to press his mouth against hers. Ellie gasped, surprised by the sudden movement, but quickly responded by wrapping her arms around his back, gripping his sweater. It was inteded as just a short kiss, but they both found themselves unable to stop as they tumbled to the bed.

Remus landed on top of her, propping himself up on his hand so he wouldn't crush her, the other hand digging his nails into her hip. The wolf inside was egging him on, whispering things in his ears for him to just go a little further. _She wants it, she told you she did_. Sirius' bed wasn't the place for it, he told himself, but it wasn't listening. _Cop a feel_. Ignoring his common sense, Remus' hand crept up her stomach as he placed kisses down her jaw and on her neck, and he finally gathered up enough courage to softly massage her breast through her shirt.

Ellie groaned, arching her chest into his hand and sent her hips grinding into his. He moaned softly himself, pushing his hips back down into hers.

A knock on the door finally pulled their lips apart. "Remus, Ellie, dinner is ready."

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><p><strong>AN: Whoo, this one was fun to write! I know I'm moving this along pretty fast, but it's not going to be a very long story, I'm thinking maybe 10 - 14 chapters at most before I finish it. I have two days off of work this week (Thursday/Friday), and my husband will be taking my little one up to family's house in a neighboring state, so expect a lot of updates those days! I wish I could go, but I have class in the mornings. Anyways, review if you like it! Even if you don't, constructive criticism is always appreciated!**


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